Malkajgiri: A Melting Pot of Cultures and Political Tensions

Malkajgiri, often referred to as ‘Mini India’, is a vibrant constituency located just 15km from the Telangana capital. It is a place where the ethereal voices of SP Balasubramaniam, S. Janaki, KJ Yesudas, Hemant Kumar, and Kishore Kumar blend into a symphony that reflects both the diversity and unity of this unique region.

The constituency, which is the largest Lok Sabha constituency with 32 lakh voters, boasts a diverse population that speaks Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Bengali, and Odiya. The music from yesteryears echoes through the streets, a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Malkajgiri.

The diversity of the population dates back to the British era when a large number of Tamils migrated to work on railway projects. As a center of defense forces, including the Secunderabad cantonment, many armed forces personnel have made Malkajgiri their home.

Public sector units such as Bharat Electronics Limited and Electronics Corporation of India Limited, which manufacture electronic voting machines or EVMs, have attracted job-seekers from Kerala, Karnataka, and other states.

In 2019, A. Revanth Reddy, the representative of Malkajgiri, ascended to the position of Chief Minister after leading the Congress to a credible win. However, the political landscape in Malkajgiri is complex and ever-changing.

The Congress has fielded Sunitha Mahender Reddy, who quit the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in February. The BJP has given another chance to Etala Rajender, who lost in the state elections just five months ago. Their BRS rival is Ragidi Lakshma Reddy, a local through and through.

Despite winning all seven Assembly seats in the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha segment, the BRS lost the election. With the defection of many leaders, the BRS has been in a tailspin, raising questions about who would get the BRS votes.

Etala Rajender, a former health minister who quit the BRS over serious differences with then Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao in June 2021, is eyeing a political resurrection. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has promised a Metro rail among a slew of infrastructure projects for his former constituency.

However, N. Ramachander Rao, BJP’s national executive member and president of its Hyderabad unit, is confident about the party’s success. He believes that the BJP is on the upswing, and the Congress and BRS candidates are weak.

Rao is confident that the BJP will eventually take BRS’s place in Telangana. “We will be filling BRS’s space and also capture some Congress space in Malkajgiri, Chevalla, and Mahbubnagar,” he added.

BT Srinivasan, a resident of Malkajgiri and general secretary of the United Federation of Resident Welfare Associations, sees Rajender as the better option this time. “The people had supported Revanth Reddy in 2019. But I doubt they will repeat it this time,” he said. “This is a Mini India in every sense. But I think, this time Malkajgiri is backing Etala (Rajender).”

As the political tensions rise, the people of Malkajgiri continue to live in harmony, their lives echoing with the music of yesteryears, a testament to the unity in diversity that defines this ‘Mini India’.